Hoe leit dit kindeke (How Lies This Little Child)

Christmas Carols Explained, 6

In English this song is more commonly known as “Cold is this Little Child”.

I found a few performances of this online, but I liked this bell choir version. The song is originally Dutch and dates back to the 1600s as a “cradle carol” or a lullaby. The lyrics contrasts Christ’s divinity (Son of God) with His humility (lying in a manger). According to my Internet finds, it’s still popular today, especially in smaller pockets of the Netherlands that retain local tastes in older music.

It’s still mostly performed in Dutch, but the English translation has been around since the mid-20th century, when we started to see more Christmas music get commercial traction in the States.